Portable Wireless Sensor

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides an apparatus for fabricating a semiconductor device. The apparatus includes a portable device. The portable device includes first and second sensors that respectively measure first and second fabrication process parameters. The first fabrication process parameter is different from the second fabrication process parameter. The portable device also includes a wireless transceiver that is coupled to the first and second sensors. The wireless transceiver receives the first and second fabrication process parameters and transmits wireless signals containing the first and second fabrication process parameters.

PRIORITY DATA

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.12/610,280, filed Oct. 31, 2009, entitled “PORTABLE WIRELESS SENSOR, nowissued as U.S. Pat. No. ______, which claims priority to ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 61/232,225, filed on Aug. 7, 2009, entitled“PORTABLE WIRELESS SENSOR,” the entire disclosure of each of which isincorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to a sensor, and moreparticularly, to a portable wireless sensor used in semiconductorfabrication.

BACKGROUND

Semiconductor fabrication requires a plurality of fabrication tools.These fabrication tools use internal or external sensors that measurefabrication process parameters such as temperature, current, voltage, orpressure. However, the parameters that the fabrication tools are capableof measuring are limited by vendor designs, which often do not providethe capability to measure some of the desired key process parameters. Inaddition, the sensors usually are wired and are difficult todisassemble. Furthermore, the sensors are usually designed to sense onlya single parameter, and it is difficult to integrate additionalfunctionalities into the sensors.

Therefore, while existing semiconductor fabrication sensors have beengenerally adequate for their intended purposes, they have not beenentirely satisfactory in every aspect.

SUMMARY

One of the broader forms of the present disclosure involves an apparatusfor fabricating a semiconductor device. The apparatus includes aportable device that includes, first and second sensors that measurefirst and second fabrication process parameters, the first fabricationprocess parameter being different from the second fabrication processparameter; and a wireless transceiver that is coupled to the first andsecond sensors, the wireless transceiver receiving the first and secondfabrication process parameters and transmitting wireless signalscontaining the first and second fabrication process parameters.

Another of the broader forms of the present disclosure involves anapparatus for fabricating a semiconductor device. The apparatus includesa portable device that includes, first and second sensors that measurefirst and second processing data in an analog form; a signal converterthat converts the first and second processing data from the analog forminto a digital form; a micro-controller that modulates the measuredfirst and second processing data using a predetermined modulationscheme; and a wireless transceiver that transmits wireless signalscontaining the modulated first and second processing data.

Still another of the broader forms of the present disclosure involves amethod of fabricating a semiconductor device. The method includesmeasuring a first fabrication process parameter using a first sensor;measuring a second fabrication process parameter using a second sensor,the second fabrication process parameter being different from the firstfabrication process parameter; and transmitting wireless signalscontaining the measured first and second fabrication process parametersusing a wireless transceiver; and configuring the wireless transceiverand the first and second sensors so that the wireless transceiver andthe first and second sensors are integrated into a single portabledevice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the followingdetailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It isemphasized that, in accordance with the standard practice in theindustry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, thedimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased orreduced for clarity of discussion.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a semiconductor fabrication system;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of an exemplary embodiment of a portion ofthe semiconductor fabrication system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a wireless portable multi-functionsensor and a diagnostic tool that is wirelessly coupled to the sensor;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of an exemplary embodiment and applicationof the wireless portable multi-function sensor of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5A is a diagrammatic view of another exemplary embodiment andapplication of the wireless portable multi-function sensor of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5B is a diagrammatic view of a 3-dimensional axes structureillustrating the orientation of the wireless portable multi-functionsensor;

FIGS. 5C-5E are exemplary data plots generated by the wireless portablemulti-function sensor of FIG. 5A; and

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of a further exemplary embodiment andapplication of the wireless portable multi-function sensor of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is understood that the following disclosure provides many differentembodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of variousembodiments. Specific examples of components and arrangements aredescribed below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, ofcourse, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. Forexample, the formation of a first feature over or on a second feature inthe description that follows may include embodiments in which the firstand second features are formed in direct contact, and may also includeembodiments in which additional features may be formed between the firstand second features, such that the first and second features may not bein direct contact. In addition, the present disclosure may repeatreference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. Thisrepetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not initself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/orconfigurations discussed.

Illustrated in FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a semiconductorfabrication system 40. The semiconductor fabrication system 40 includesa plurality of semiconductor fabrication tools. In an embodiment, thesemiconductor fabrication system 40 includes a transfer robot 45, avacuum system 50, a power supply 55, a temperature control 60, aninput/output (I/O) tool 65, a chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) tool70, a circulation system 75, and a radio frequency (RF) matching system80. One or more sensors are detachably coupled to each of thefabrication tools 45-80. These sensors are used to collect fabricationdata (also known as fabrication process parameters), the details ofwhich will be discussed below. The fabrication tools 45-80 also includewireless transceivers 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, and 92, respectively.The wireless transceivers 85-92 each are a blue-tooth transceiver in theembodiment shown in FIG. 1, but may be transceivers of differenttechnologies in alternative embodiments, such as Wi-Fi or USB. Thewireless transceivers 85-92 are each electrically coupled to therespective sensors 112-166 in the respective fabrication tools 45-80, sothat the transceivers receive fabrication data collected by the sensors.In an embodiment, the wireless transceivers 85-92 are integrated intothe sensors on the respective fabrication tools 45-80.

The semiconductor fabrication system 40 further includes a diagnostictool 100. The diagnostic tool 100 includes a wireless transceiver 102, adata miner 105, and a centralized server 110. The wireless transceiver102 is similar to the transceivers 85-92 and is electrically coupled tothe data miner 105. The data miner 105 in the present embodiment is aportable computing device, for example a laptop. The data miner 105 iselectrically coupled to the centralized server 110, which in the presentembodiment is a Computer Integration Manufacturing (CIM) system used formonitoring and controlling semiconductor fabrication processes. Inalternative embodiments, the data miner 105 and the centralized server110 may be implemented as other suitable processing and computingdevices and may be integrated as a single unit.

The sensors in each of the fabrication tools 45-80 will now be describedin more detail. The transfer robot 45 includes a current sensor 112, apressure sensor 114, a vibration sensor (also referred to as a motionsensor) 116, and an I/O interface 118. To move objects such as wafersduring a fabrication process, the transfer robot 45 uses a motor (notillustrated) that runs on electricity. The current sensor 112 is used tosense the amount of current in the motor. If the sensed current isoutside of a predetermined normal range, it indicates a problem with theoperation of the motor. For example, if the sensed current is too high,the motor may be overloaded and may be in danger of failing. Thetransfer robot 45 may also have mechanical “arms” that use a vacuum pipe(not illustrated). The amount of pressure inside the vacuum pipe ismonitored by the pressure sensor 114, so that problems with the vacuumpipe such as jams, snaps, or leaks will be detected. The vibrationsensor 116 helps gauge the performances and conditions of variouscomponents of the transfer robot 45 by sensing the vibration of thesecomponents.

The vacuum system 50 controls internal pressures of various types ofequipment of a semiconductor fabrication system, such as the fabricationtools of the fabrication system 40. The vacuum system 50 includespressure sensors 120 (for production chamber and pumping line) and anI/O interface 122. The pressure sensors 120 are used to monitor pumpingspeed, gas partial pressure, and chamber pressure (if a vacuum chamberis used for the vacuum system 50) of the vacuum system 50. The chamberpressure is correlated to an angle of the valve used to adjust thepressure of the chamber. Thus, tuning the valve angle in turn regulatesthe pressures of the vacuum system 50. The reading from the pressuresensors 120 allows precise turning of the valve angles. Further, valveangles for multiple chambers can be matched so that the pressures insidethese chambers are the same.

The power supply 55 provides electrical power to various types ofequipment of a semiconductor fabrication system, such as the fabricationtools of the fabrication system 40. The power supply 55 includes a powersensor 125 and an I/O interface 127. The power sensor 125 monitors andcompares the amount of input power (“line-in” power) and amount ofoutput power of the power supply 55. The reduction of power between theinput power and the output power is the power loss. If the power lossbecomes excessively high, it means some components of the fabricationtool are close to failure.

The temperature control 60 regulates the temperatures of various typesof equipment of a semiconductor fabrication system, such as thefabrication tools of the fabrication system 40. The temperature control60 includes current sensors 130, a resistance sensor 132, temperaturesensors 134, and an I/O interface 135. The temperature control 60 uses aheating device (such as a resistance heater, not illustrated) togenerate heat and a cooling device (such as a refrigeration compressor,not illustrated) to generate a cooling flow (coolant or de-ionizedwater). The heating and cooling devices both run on electrical current,and the amount of current in these devices is monitored by the currentsensors 130. As discussed above with reference to the other currentsensors, the current sensors 130 will detect a problem in the heatingand cooling devices based on the amount of current measured. Further,the resistance of the heating device is measured by the resistancesensor 132, which will also help indicate whether a problem exists inthe heating device. The temperature sensors 134 include thermocouplesthat are coupled to the fabrication tool in different internal andexternal locations. Thus, the temperatures throughout the fabricationtool are obtained. If the measured temperature at a specific location istoo high or too low, the temperature setting is adjusted to address thiscondition.

The I/O tool 65 includes external sensors 136 that are installed onfabrication tools. The external sensors 136 are used to measure desireddata (fabrication process parameters) that a given fabrication tooleither does not have the capability to measure or lacks a sufficientnumber of I/O ports for routing. Thus, the external sensors measurethese parameters and provide a simulated I/O port to a user. The I/Otool 65 assigns a system variable identification (SVID) to the measuredparameters, so that these parameters will be recognized by thefabrication system 40 during later processing. As examples, the externalsensors 136 may be flow meters installed on a circulation loop to ensuresteady process conditions, or differential pressure manometers installedon exhaust pipes to guarantee appropriate heat loss and flow pattern, orthermocouples installed on a chamber housing/lid/chuck to compare thermouniformity. In an embodiment, these external sensors 136 may include thesensors 112-134 discussed above as well as the sensors that will bediscussed below shortly.

The CMP tool 70 is used to polish and remove surface layer of a wafer.The CMP tool 70 includes vibration sensors 140, a temperature sensor142, a resistance sensor 144, and an I/O interface 146. The vibrationsensors 40 are used to monitor vibrations of various components of theCMP tool 70, the temperature sensor 142 is used to monitor thetemperature of a pad surface (used to polish the wafer, notillustrated), and the resistance sensor 144 is used to monitor theresistance of a de-ionized water rinse, so that the CMP process isensured to progress smoothly. The CMP tool 70 will be discussed in moredetail later as an example of the fabrication tools.

The circulation system 75 is used to perform various chemical processesin semiconductor fabrication, such as etching that is carried out in anetching tank (not illustrated) having an etching solution. Thecirculation system 75 includes a flow rate sensor 150, a temperaturesensor 152, a radiation sensor 154, a level sensor 156, and an I/Ointerface 158. The flow rate sensor 150 and the temperature sensor 152are used to monitor the flow rate and the temperature of the etchingsolution, respectively. The concentration (also referred to asconsistency) of the etching solution is correlated to a spectrum ofradiation (such as light) that is associated with the etching solution.The spectrum of radiation can be detected by the radiation sensor 154,which may be implemented as a charge-coupled device (CCD). The amount(or level) of etching solution in the etching tank is monitored by thelevel sensor 156. The sensors 150-156 provide analog outputs, so thatthe flow rate, the temperature, the concentration, and the level of theetching solution are fine-tuned by the respective sensors 150-156.

The RF/matching system 80 includes an RF power system and a matchingsystem. The matching system is used to match input and output impedancesin high frequency operation to minimize power loss and improveefficiency. The matching system includes an RF matching network (notillustrated). The RF power system has a plurality of electroniccomponents, such as resistors, capacitors, inductors, transformers, aswell as one or more stages of amplifiers. The RF/matching system 80includes a power sensor 160, a current sensor 162, a temperature sensor164, an position sensor 166, and an I/O interface 168. The power sensor160 is used to monitor the input and output powers of the RF matchingsystem 80 to detect potential failures associated with abnormal powerloss. The current sensor 162 is used to monitor the current of differentstages of amplifiers to determine if the loading of the amplifier isappropriate. The temperature sensor 164 is used to monitor thetemperature of the transformers, which has an inverse correlation withits efficiency. The position sensor 166 of the matching system includesa potentiometer (a variable resistor) that is used to cause voltagevariations that lead to changes in capacitance and inductance of the RFmatching network, which in effect tunes the RF matching network to adesired state. Since capacitance and inductance together defineimpedance, it can be said that a specific setting of the potentiometercorresponds to a respective impedance of the RF matching network, andthus the impedance sensor 166 monitors the impedance of the RF matchingsystem 80.

The fabrication tools 45-80 may be collectively referred to as ameasurement system. The I/O interfaces 118, 122, 127, 135, 146, 158, and168 of their respective fabrication tools 45-80 are the default I/Ointerfaces that the respective fabrication tool is equipped with, andthe I/O interfaces either do not have the capability to measure theprocess parameters that the respective sensors of the respectivefabrication tools are operable to measure, or that the I/O interfaces donot provide a sufficient number of I/O ports to supply these respectivedata to external devices. These shortcomings of the I/O interfaces 118,122, 127, 135, 146, 158, and 168 represent a disadvantage forfabrication tools not equipped with the respective sensors discussedabove. However, for the fabrication tools 45-80 discussed above, no suchdisadvantage exists since these fabrication tools can gather the desireddata through their respective sensors.

After the desired fabrication data are gathered by the appropriatesensors, the wireless transceivers 85-92 of the respective fabricationtools 45-80 send the gathered fabrication data across a wirelessinterface to the diagnostic tool 100. The fabrication data are receivedby the wireless transceiver 102, which then routes the data to the dataminer 105. The data miner 105 then sends the data to the centralizedserver 110 for detailed processing and analysis. Thereafter, thecentralized server 110 makes a determination as to whether thefabrication data fall within an acceptable range. If not, thecentralized server 110 may instruct the data miner 105 to send out asignal via the transceiver 102 to tell the appropriate fabrication toolto make adjustments.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the CMP tool 70 is discussed in more detail soas to provide an example of the operation of the semiconductorfabrication system 40. FIG. 2 illustrates a diagrammatic view of the CMPtool 70 of FIG. 1. The CMP tool 70 includes a polishing head 170, a padconditioner head 172, a platen 174, a platen gear box 176, a water tank178 filled with de-ionized water, the sensors 140A-B, 142, and 144(discussed above with reference to FIG. 1), and a wireless transceiver185. A semiconductor wafer is secured by the polishing head 170, and thesurface of the wafer is polished by the platen 174 as the polishing head170 moves the wafer across the platen. After polishing, one or moresemiconductor wafers 188 are then placed into the water tank 178 to berinsed with de-ionized water.

The sensor 142 is an infrared radiation detector that is positionedabove the platen 174. In an embodiment, the sensor 142 is mounted on theceiling of a chamber (not illustrated) of the CMP tool 70. The sensor142 monitors the temperature of the surface of the platen 174 to makesure that the platen is not overheated. Overheating of the surface ofthe platen 174 indicates high likelihood of failure of the CMP tool 70.The sensors 140A and 140B are vibration sensors implemented asaccelerometers and are respectively coupled to the pad conditioner head172 and the platen gear box 176. The sensors 140A-B monitor the amountof vibration in the CMP tool 70. Excessive vibration also indicates highlikelihood of failure of the CMP tool 70. The sensor 144 is a resistancesensor that is coupled to the water tank 178 so as to monitor theresistance of the de-ionized water in the tank. Abnormal resistancevariations indicate that the de-ionized water in the water tank 178 isstained by CMP slurry, meaning the de-ionized water has been pollutedand needs to be changed.

The heat data, vibration data, and resistance data are respectivelygathered by the sensor 142, sensors 140A-B, and the sensor 144, and arethereafter sent to the wireless transceiver 185, which is a Bluetoothtransceiver coupled to a suitable portion of the CMP tool 70. Thewireless transceiver 185 sends the gathered data wirelessly to thediagnostic tool 100 (FIG. 1) for processing and analysis by thecentralized server 110, which is the CIM system of a semiconductorfoundry. Depending on the analysis results, the centralized server 110sends signals back to the CMP tool 70 through the wireless transceivers102 (FIGS. 1) and 185. The CMP tool 70 then adjusts the CMP processaccordingly.

In an alternative embodiment for the CMP tool 70 discussed above, eachof the sensors 142-144 may have wireless transceivers integrated within,so that each of the sensors 142-144 is capable of wirelesslytransferring fabrication data to the diagnostic tool 100 (FIG. 1), asopposed to having to route fabrication data to the standalone wirelesstransceiver 185 first.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a wireless portable multi-functionsensor (WPMF sensor) 200 and a diagnostic tool 201. The WPMF sensor 200can be used in place of, or in conjunction with, the wirelesstransceivers 85-92 and the sensors 112-166 of FIG. 1. In the presentembodiment, the WPMF sensor 200 is detachably coupled to a fabricationtool (for example, one of the fabrication tools 45-80 of FIG. 1) togather fabrication data associated with that tool.

The WPMF sensor 200 includes a plurality of sensors 202 to 210, a signalconverter 215, a micro-controller unit (MCU, also referred to as amicro-processor) 220, a storage device 222, a communication interface223 between the MCU 220 and the storage device 222, and a transceiver225 that has an optional antenna 230. The sensors 202-210 are similar tothe sensors 112-166 discussed above with reference to the FIG. 1 and areused to monitor fabrication data (process parameters) such as voltage,current, resistance, vibration, temperature, etc. The sensors 202-210output the sensed fabrication data as analog signals. Any number ofsensors 202-210 may be implemented in the WPMF sensor 200 depending ondesign requirements and manufacturing constraints. In alternativeembodiments, the sensors 202-210 may be implemented external to the WPMFsensor 200, in which case the WPMF sensor 200 may include ports that arecoupled to the external sensors 202-210.

Referring back to FIG. 3, the signal converter 215 receives the outputof the WPMF sensors 202-210 as inputs. The signal converter 215 includesa multi-channel analog-to-digital converter in the present embodiment,each channel capable of converting the analog signal output from one ofthe sensors 202-210 into digital form. In alternative embodiments wherethe sensors 202-210 output digital signals, the signal converter 215 mayperform necessary data processing on the digital signal outputs of thesensors 202-210. The signal converter 215 then outputs the fabricationdata to an input of the MCU 220, which performs further processing onthe data. In an embodiment, the MCU 220 controls operations of thesignal converter 215 and the transceiver 225. In another embodiment, theMCU 220 modulates the data in accordance with a predetermined modulationscheme, such as quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), quadratureamplitude modulation (QAM), Gaussian frequency shift keying (GFSK), ororthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). In yet anotherembodiment, the signal converter 215 is integrated into the MCU 220.

The interface 223 allows the MCU 220 to communicate with the storagedevice 222. As an example, fabrication data can be transferred betweenthe storage device 222 and the MCU 220 through the interface 223 toenhance the functionalities of the MCU 220. In the present embodiment,the storage device 222 is a secure digital (SD) card, and the interface223 is an USB port. In alternative embodiments, the storage device 222may be other forms of memory, including Flash, Memory Stick, Micro-SD,or a hard disk, and the interface 223 may be a serial port, parallelport, FireWire port, or USB port. In yet another alternative embodiment,the storage device 222 may be integrated into the MCU 220.

Referring back to FIG. 3, the fabrication data is sent from an output ofthe MCU 220 to an input of the transceiver 225 to be broadcast. Thetransceiver 225 includes a Bluetooth transceiver in the presentembodiment. In alternative embodiments, the transceiver 225 may be Wi-Fior Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART). The antenna 230is a standalone antenna but may be integrated into the transceiver 225in alternative embodiments. In further embodiments, the transceiver 225is integrated into the MCU 220, so that the MCU 220 communicatesdirectly with external devices. In yet another embodiment, the MCU 220communicates with external devices through the interface 223, or throughanother suitable interface that is not illustrated. The transmittedfabrication data is received and analyzed by the diagnostic device 201.The diagnostic device 201 includes a laptop computer that has anintegrated wireless transceiver (not illustrated) such as a Wi-Fi or aBluetooth transceiver. Alternatively, the transmitted fabrication datamay be received and analyzed by the diagnostic tool 100 of FIG. 1, usingthe centralized server 110.

The WPMF sensor 200 is portable and can be configured to adapt to avariety of manufacturing and communication platforms. The multiplesensors integrated within the WPMF sensor 200 allow different types offabrication data to be collected simultaneously. Based on thesimultaneously collected fabrication data, a user may then perform aquick analysis using the diagnostic device 201. If the results of theanalysis indicate potential problems with the fabrication tool fromwhich the WPMF sensor 200 gathered data, the fabrication tool can beimmediately adjusted to prevent manufacturing failures. The adjustmentmay be made by either a human user or through a computerized feedbackcontrol loop.

Referring now to FIG. 4, an exemplary embodiment and application of theWPMF sensor 200 is discussed. FIG. 4 illustrates a diagrammatic view ofa vacuum pump 240. The vacuum pump 240 includes a process pumping line(inlet) 243, an exhaust pipe (outlet) 246, and a WPMF sensor 250. Thevacuum pump 240 is a dry pump in the present embodiment. The vacuum pump240 may be a cryo-pump in alternative embodiments. Referring back toFIG. 4, the vacuum pump 240 also includes a plurality of internalsensors (not illustrated), including a current sensor that measuresmotor current (to monitor pump loading), a pressure sensor that measuresoutlet pressure (to monitor obstruction of the exhaust pipe 246), and atemperature sensor that measures internal pump temperature (to monitorthe working temperature of the pump 240).

The WPMF sensor 250 is an exemplary embodiment of the WPMF sensor 200discussed above with reference to the FIG. 3. The WPMF sensor 250 isplaced on an external surface of the vacuum pump 240 and includes avibration sensor (not illustrated) and a temperature sensor (notillustrated). The vibration sensor is implemented as an accelerometer,and the temperature sensor is implemented as an infrared radiationdetector. The vibration sensor monitors the amount of vibration on thevacuum pump 240 during the pump's operation, and the temperature sensormonitors the temperature of the vacuum pump 240 during the pump'soperation. When either the vibration or the temperature data is outsidean acceptable range but the other parameter is within an acceptablerange, action need not necessarily be taken, because the fact that onlyone process parameter deviates from the normal ranges does not carrymuch significance. However, when both the vibration and the temperaturedata are outside the acceptable range, it indicates the vacuum pump 240is likely to fail soon. Thus, the vacuum pump 240 may be repaired orreplaced before actual failure occurs. It is understood that a user mayuse a laptop to obtain the vibration and temperature data from thevacuum pump wirelessly through the WPMF sensor 250. The user need notperform actual measurements on the vacuum pump 240, since themeasurements are automatically made.

Referring now to FIGS. 5A-5E, another exemplary embodiment andapplication of the WPMF sensor 200 is discussed. FIG. 5A illustrates adiagrammatic view of an exposure process tool 255. The exposure processtool 255 is used during a photolithography process that forms imagepatterns on a semiconductor wafer. The exposure process tool 255includes a moving stage 260 and a WPMF sensor 265. The WPMF sensor 265is attached to either side of the moving stage 260. In an alternativeembodiment, the WPMF 265 is placed over the top surface of the movingstage 260.

Referring back to FIG. 5A, vibrations in the exposure process tool 255can be caused by defects in various moving components of the exposureprocess tool 255, including the motor, gear, guider, screw, or bearing(none of which are illustrated). Current fabrication technologies do notprovide a measurement of the vibration of the exposure process tool 255.Nonetheless, a relatively small amount of vibration may lead to poorwafer pattern image quality. Further, if the moving stage 260 is notlevel, the wafers will also have poor pattern image quality. If thewafers having poor pattern image quality are not caught in time, and thewafers undergo etching, they may be unsalvageable and have to bescrapped.

In the present embodiment, the WPMF sensor 265 includes a vibrationsensor (not illustrated) and a leveling sensor (not illustrated). Thevibration sensor is used to monitor the vibration of the exposureprocess tool 255, and the leveling sensor is used to monitor thelevelness of the moving stage 260, so as to ensure adequate patternimage quality. In the present embodiment, both the vibration sensor andthe leveling sensor are implemented as 3-axis micro-electromechanicalsystem (MEMS) accelerometers. The MEMS accelerometer has a relativelyhigh sensitivity to gravity. The sensitivity to gravity is utilized tomeasure the levelness of the accelerometer (and thus the levelness ofthe moving stage 260), as discussed below.

Referring now to FIG. 5B, the orientation of the accelerometer insidethe WPMF 265 can be illustrated by the 3-dimensional axes diagram thathas an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis. The X, Y and Z axes aresubstantially orthogonal (perpendicular) to one another. The vibrationsalong each axis are then measured as audio-like signals. Exemplaryillustrations of these audio-like signals are shown in FIGS. 5C, 5D, and5E, where the vertical axis represents vibration signals measured by theaccelerometer, and the horizontal axis represents different points intime. FIG. 5C shows vibration signals measured along the X-axis withrespect to time, FIG. 5D shows vibration signals measured along theY-axis with respect to time, and FIG. 5E shows vibration signalsmeasured along the Z-axis with respect to time. Thereafter, dataaveraging is performed on the measured vibration signals to ensure amore stable reading of the accelerometer. A low pass filter is then usedto filter out the high frequency components of the vibration signals,and the remaining portions of the vibration signals are the levelingsignals (not illustrated). To view the leveling signals across afrequency spectrum, a fast Fourier transform (FFT) is performed on thevibration signals.

When the accelerometer is substantially level, the leveling signals withrespect to the X-axis and the Y-axis should be very close to 0, whilethe leveling signal with respect to the Z-axis should be 1 times gravity(represented by g). When the accelerometer is tilted (not level), theleveling signals with respect to the X and Y-axes deviate from 0, andthe leveling signal with respect to the Z-axis deviates from g. Theleveling signals are analyzed (for example, by the diagnostic tool 201of FIG. 3) so as to indicate how the accelerometer is tilted. Asdiscussed above, the tilt of the accelerometer is indicative of how theWPMF sensor 265 is tilted and therefore how the moving stage 260 istilted. The moving stage 260 is then adjusted either through acomputerized feedback control loop or by a human user, in a manner sothat the accelerometer is more level.

It is understood that with respect to its application for the exposureprocess tool 255, the wireless aspect of the WPMF sensor 265 offersanother advantage (it being understood that different advantages areoffered by different embodiments): the vibration data would have beenunintentionally affected by the cables or wires of a traditional wiredsensor, whereas no such cables or wires exist to cause vibrationinterference in the present embodiment as the WPMF sensor 265 functionswirelessly.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a further exemplary embodiment and applicationof the WPMF sensor 200 is discussed. FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of atransfer robot 270 that is similar to the transfer robot 45, and onwhich a WPMF sensor 275 is mounted. The WPMF sensor 275 includes acurrent sensor, a voltage sensor, and a vibration sensor (none of whichare illustrated). The current sensor is used to monitor the current loadof a motor (not illustrated) of the transfer robot 270. To control theoperation of the motor, digital control signals have to be transformedinto analog signals using an encoder (not illustrated). The voltagesensor of the WPMF 275 is used to monitor the voltage of the encoder, sothat a phase character can be calculated if the motor is a servo motor,or that a step loss can be calculated if the motor is a stepping motor.The vibration sensor is implemented as an accelerometer and is used tomonitor the vibrations of various components of the transfer robot 270so as to gauge the conditions and performance of these components. Thus,the WPMF 275 gathers fabrication data with respect to motor current,encoder voltage, and transfer robot component vibrations. These gatheredfabrication data are wirelessly sent to the diagnostic tool 201 (FIG.3), either individually or collectively, to determine the quality of thetransfer robot 270 and whether it needs to be repaired or overhauled.

The foregoing has outlined features of several embodiments so that thoseskilled in the art may better understand the detailed description thatfollows. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they mayreadily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifyingother processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/orachieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein.Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalentconstructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions andalterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for obtaining data, the apparatuscomprising: a sensor interface communicatively coupled to at least onesensor and operable to receive sensing data from the coupled at leastone sensor; a micro-controller communicatively coupled to the sensorinterface and operable to encode the sensing data received by the sensorinterface; and a transceiver communicatively coupled to themicro-controller and operable to wirelessly transmit the encoded sensingdata to a diagnostic system, wherein the transceiver is further operableto receive a wireless signal causing an adjustment to an operation of anassociated fabrication tool.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the atleast one sensor includes a sensor operable to obtain the sensing datafrom the associated fabrication tool.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the sensing data received by the sensor interface includes dataof at least two different processing parameters.
 4. The apparatus ofclaim 1 further comprising a storage device communicatively coupled tothe micro-controller and operable to store the sensing data received bythe sensor interface.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein themicro-controller is operable to encode the sensing data received by thesensor interface according to at least one of: quadrature phase shiftkeying (QPSK) modulation, quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM),Gaussian frequency shift keying (GFSK), and orthogonal frequencydivision multiplexing (OFDM).
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thesensor interface includes an analog-to-digital converter operable todigitize the received sensing data, and wherein the micro-controller isoperable to encode the digitized sensing data.
 7. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the transceiver includes at least one of a Bluetoothtransceiver, a Wi-Fi transceiver, and a Universal Asynchronous ReceiverTransmitter (UART) that is operable to wirelessly transmit the encodedsensing data to the diagnostic system.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the apparatus is coupled to a circulation system forsemiconductor fabrication; wherein the apparatus includes at least onesensor from the group of a flow rate sensor, a temperature sensor, aradiation sensor, and a level sensor; and wherein the apparatus isoperable to control at least one of a flow rate, a temperature, aconcentration, and a level of a solution.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the apparatus is detachably coupled to a vacuum pump; whereinthe sensor interface is communicatively coupled to a vibration sensor ofthe vacuum pump and to a temperature sensor of the vacuum pump; andwherein the sensing data includes vibration data and temperature data.10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is detachablycoupled to a moving stage of an exposure process tool; wherein thesensor interface is communicatively coupled to a vibration sensor of themoving stage and to a levelness sensor of the moving stage; and whereinthe sensing data includes vibration data and levelness data.
 11. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is detachably coupled to atransfer robot; wherein the sensor interface is communicatively coupledto a current load sensor of the transfer robot and to a voltage sensorof the transfer robot; and wherein the sensing data includes currentload data and voltage data.
 12. An apparatus for fabricating asemiconductor device, the apparatus comprising: at least two analogsensors that are operable to measure at least two different processingparameters and to produce fabrication data from the at least twodifferent processing parameters; a controller operable to modulate thefabrication data according to a predetermined modulation scheme; and awireless transceiver operable to transmit a first wireless signalcontaining the modulated fabrication data to a diagnostic tool and toreceive a second wireless signal configured to adjust a fabricationprocess, wherein the apparatus is operable to adjust the fabricationprocess according to the second wireless signal.
 13. The apparatus ofclaim 12, wherein the second wireless signal is transmitted by thediagnostic tool in response to the modulated fabrication data containedin the first wireless signal.
 14. The apparatus of claim 12 furthercomprising an analog-to-digital converter operable to digitally encodethe fabrication data, and wherein the controller is operable to modulatethe digitally encoded fabrication data.
 15. The apparatus of claim 12further comprising a storage device operable to store the fabricationdata.
 16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the predeterminedmodulation scheme includes at least one of: quadrature phase shiftkeying (QPSK) modulation, quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM),Gaussian frequency shift keying (GFSK), and orthogonal frequencydivision multiplexing (OFDM).
 17. A method of fabricating asemiconductor device, the method comprising: measuring at least onefabrication process parameter using at least one sensor; wirelesslyproviding a first wireless signal communicating the at least onefabrication process parameter to a diagnostic system; wirelesslyreceiving from the diagnostic system a second wireless signalcommunicating an adjustment to a semiconductor device fabricationprocess; implementing the adjustment to the semiconductor devicefabrication process; and fabricating the semiconductor device accordingto the implemented adjustment.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein themeasuring of the at least one fabrication process parameter includesextracting at least two different fabrication process parameters from afabrication tool; wherein the implementing of the adjustment includesadjusting an operation of the fabrication tool according to the secondwireless signal.
 19. The method of claim 17 further comprisingconverting the at least one fabrication process parameter from an analogform into a digital form prior to the wireless providing of the firstwireless signal.
 20. The method of claim 17 further comprising storagethe at least one fabrication process parameter in a storage device priorto the wireless providing of the first wireless signal.